Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Flower Power

It's been a rough couple of months for us in Surrey, BC, with too many rainy, overcast days and cold, long evenings. Now that it has started to stay lighter out later we all have our hopes up that maybe, just maybe Spring is on its way with fresh green leaves and new blooms! This longing for sun, warmth, and new flowers started us talking about the benefits of flowers on our body, mind, and spirit and how easily they can be incorporated into body care formulas.

1. Floral Hydrosols are incredibly versatile and can be used in many skin care recipes. They are the condensation collected during the essential oil distillation process that contain incredibly beneficial properties of the plant being distilled. They can replace some or all of the water in a cream or lotion, they are wonderful in facial toners and skin mists, in laundry products, in hair treatments and conditioners, and in the bath.

2. Essential Oils are one of the easiest ways to incorporate floral essence into a product. They can be used in conjunction with Polysorbate 20 in water-based products or on their own in emulsions and oil-based products. These oils are super concentrated so a little goes a long way!

3. Dried florals are fragrant and bring an attractive visual aspect to your products. They can be added to melt and pour or rebatch soap, combined with other florals in herbal sachets for the bath or to toss in your sock drawer, or infused in oil to bring out all their wonderful qualities and facilitate ease of incorporation into lotions and creams and even cold process soap.

Here are the benefits of a few of the most popular and well-renowned flowers used in skincare:

Lavender - This sweet and herbaceous scented flower has fantastic and diverse properties. It is a known analgesic, antidepressant, anti rheumatic, antiseptic, antiviral, bactericide, decongestant, deodorant, detoxicant, fungicide, restorative and sedative. Lavender is also known for its calming capabilities and is frequently used in nighttime lotions, bath and massage products, and candles. Here at Voyageur we carry 3 types of Lavender Essential Oil, Lavender Hydrosol, and 2 types of dried Lavender Florals that can be used in body care.

Jasmine - Jasmine has a rich, warm but sweet floral scent that lingers nicely. It has been reputed
for centuries as an aphrodisiac but more recently has been studied for its
soothing and calming benefits, as well as its ability to help with mental
alertness. In skin care, Jasmine is great for both sensitive and mature skin
types. Try our Jasmine Essential Oil, Jasmine Flowers, or Jasmine Tea in your next recipe!Neroli - Orange
Blossom, or Neroli, has a sweet, floral citrus scent popular in perfumes. Voyageur's Neroli Hydrosol and Essential Oil are excellent
choices for dry, sensitive and mature skin as they regenerate skin cells and
improves skin's elasticity. Reputed for it's ability to minimize the appearance
of enlarged pores, it makes an excellent choice in facial toners and cleansers. This flower is also reputed to help uplift the spirit and relieve tension, making it a great choice for massage oils and for diffusing.

Calendula - Regenerative and anti-inflammatory, Calendula is known as an effective treatment of burnt, irritated, or inflamed skin. It helps to soften and soothe dry, chapped skin and is especially effective on ageing skin or for those suffering from dry skin conditions. Try Voyageur's readily infused Calendula Oil, infuse your own with our Calendula Petals, or try our Calendula Intensive Moisturizing Lotion Kit!

Chamomile - Chamomile is used for its soothing effects on the mind, its anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties, and its ability to help protect dry skin conditions. Its sweet, lingering floral scent makes it a popular addition to perfumes and its gentle, soothing properties make it excellent for diffusing. We have an extensive selection of Chamomile products at Voyageur such as Roman and Blue Chamomile Essential Oils, Chamomile Hydrosol, Chamomile Flowers, and Chamomile Powdered Extract.

Rose - Perhaps one of the most well-liked flowers, Rose has a heavy, intense, sweet floral scent. Known for centuries as one of the most romantic flowers it is said to be a powerful aphrodisiac! It is reputed to have exceptional emollient properties for all skin types, especially mature, dry, or sensitive skin, and is said to help tone and lift the skin and help with inflammation. Voyageur carries a lovely Rose Essential Oil and Rose Hydrosol, as well as Red and Pink Rose Petals.

Next time try adding a little flower powder to your formula! For more information on florals and a couple great recipes take a look at our last newsletter here.